Adolescent DevelopmentWAYNCT07780864
Who Are You (WAY) Online Social and Emotional Learning Program for Adolescents
A study testing Who Are You (WAY) Social and Emotional Learning Program in people with Adolescent Development, run by Melih Dikmen at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).
Trial summary
This study evaluated the Who Are You (WAY) program, a 10-week online social and emotional learning program designed for adolescents. The program aims to help young people better understand and manage emotions, regulate their behavior, stay motivated in learning, cope with stress, and develop goal-directed skills. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 10 to 18 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Adolescent Development
- What is being tested?
- Who Are You (WAY) Social and Emotional Learning Program
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 120 participants
- Where
- 1 siteTurkey (Türkiye)
- Study dates
- 15 Dec 2025to 27 Mar 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 10 to 18 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Child, Adult
Who may be able to join
- Enrollment in Grades 5-12.
- Sufficient proficiency in Turkish to understand the program content and complete the study measures.
- Reliable internet access and access to an appropriate digital device for participation in the online program.
- Ability to engage with the program and complete the study measures independently, with reasonable support where required.
- Written informed consent from a parent or legal guardian and written assent from the adolescent.
Who cannot join
- Concurrent participation in another structured social and emotional learning program.
- A cognitive, sensory, linguistic, or functional difficulty that prevented meaningful participation or independent completion of the study measures despite reasonable accommodations.
- An acute psychological crisis or serious risk requiring immediate professional assessment or clinical support.
- Failure to complete the baseline assessment or withdrawal before randomization.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Digital Social and Emotional Learning Program for Adolescents: Effects on Social-Emotional Functioning and Academic Achievement
This study evaluated the Who Are You (WAY) program, a 10-week online social and emotional learning program designed for adolescents. The program aims to help young people better understand and manage emotions, regulate their behavior, stay motivated in learning, cope with stress, and develop goal-directed skills.
A total of 120 adolescents took part in the study, including 60 middle-school students and 60 high-school students. Within each educational group, participants were randomly assigned either to the WAY program or to a waitlist group that continued with their usual education. The WAY program combined weekly one-to-one online sessions with structured independent learning activities.
Read more
Participants completed assessments before and after the 10-week period. The main outcomes were self-regulation, emotional intelligence, academic motivation, and perceived stress. Academic achievement was also assessed as a secondary educational outcome.
The study tested the hypothesis that adolescents assigned to the WAY program would show greater improvement in social-emotional functioning than adolescents assigned to the waitlist condition.
Read the detailed description
This was a two-arm, parallel-group, assessor-blinded, waitlist-controlled randomized trial conducted with two developmentally distinct educational cohorts in Türkiye. Middle-school and high-school participants were randomized separately within cohort in a 1:1 ratio to either the WAY intervention or a waitlist control condition.
WAY was a manualized, digitally supported social and emotional learning intervention delivered over 10 consecutive weeks. Each weekly module included an individual synchronous online session supplemented by structured asynchronous activities. The program addressed self-awareness, emotional understanding and regulation, academic motivation, goal setting, planning, self-monitoring, stress management, adaptive coping, empathy, communication, and maintenance of acquired skills.
Participants in the waitlist condition continued their usual education during the evaluation period and were offered access to the WAY program after completion of post-intervention assessments.
Baseline assessments were completed before randomization, and post-intervention assessments were administered within one week after completion of the intervention period. The four prespecified primary outcome domains were self-regulation, trait emotional intelligence, academic motivation, and perceived stress. Academic achievement was prespecified as a secondary educational outcome. Outcomes were evaluated separately within the middle-school and high-school cohorts.
The trial was completed before registration on ClinicalTrials.gov and is therefore being registered retrospectively.
- Conditions
- Adolescent Development
- Being tested
- Who Are You (WAY) Social and Emotional Learning Program
- Keywords
- Social and Emotional Learning, Adolescents, Self-Regulation, Emotional Intelligence, Academic Motivation, Perceived Stress, Academic Achievement, Digital Intervention
- Medical subject headings
- Self-Control
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Who Are You (WAY) Social and Emotional Learning ProgramBehavioural
WAY is a manualized, digitally supported social and emotional learning program designed for adolescents. It was delivered individually over 10 consecutive weeks. Each weekly module combined a synchronous online session with structured asynchronous activities. The program addressed self-awareness, emotional understanding and regulation, academic motivation, goal setting, planning, self-monitoring, stress management, adaptive coping, empathy, communication, collaborative problem solving, and maintenance of acquired skills. Sessions used guided discussion, reflective questioning, experiential activities, structured exercises, individualized reflection, and goal setting.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| WAY Intervention | Experimental | Participants assigned to this arm received the 10-week Who Are You (WAY) social and emotional learning program in addition to their usual education. The program included one individual synchronous online session per week, followed by structured asynchronous learning activities. Each weekly module comprised approximately 30 minutes of synchronous instruction and 15-20 minutes of asynchronous activities. Receives: Behavioral: Who Are You (WAY) Social and Emotional Learning Program |
| Waitlist Control | No intervention | Participants assigned to this arm continued their usual school education and did not receive WAY sessions, facilitator contact, or intervention materials during the 10-week evaluation period. They were offered access to the WAY program after completion of the post-intervention assessment. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change From Baseline in Perceived Self-Regulation Scale Score
Self-regulation in the middle-school cohort was assessed using the 16-item Perceived Self-Regulation Scale. Items are rated on a 5-point Likert-type scale. Total scores are calculated by summing item responses, with higher scores indicating greater perceived self-regulatory capacity.
Measured: Baseline and post-intervention, within 1 week after completion of the 10-week program
Change From Baseline in Self-Regulation Scale for Adolescents Score
Self-regulation in the high-school cohort was assessed using the 11-item Self-Regulation Scale for Adolescents. The scale assesses goal setting, planning, monitoring, emotional awareness, and behavioral control using a 5-point response format. Higher total scores indicate greater self-regulatory competence.
Measured: Baseline and post-intervention, within 1 week after completion of the 10-week program
Change From Baseline in Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire-Adolescent Short Form Score
Trait emotional intelligence was assessed in both cohorts using the 15-item Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire-Adolescent Short Form (TEIQue-ASF). Items are rated on a 7-point scale. Negatively worded items are reverse scored, and higher total scores indicate greater perceived emotional competence.
Measured: Baseline and post-intervention, within 1 week after completion of the 10-week program
Change From Baseline in Academic Motivation Scale Score in Middle-School Studen
Academic motivation in the middle-school cohort was assessed using the 28-item Turkish adaptation of the Academic Motivation Scale. Items are rated on a 7-point scale. Total scores are calculated after appropriate reverse scoring, with higher scores indicating stronger academic motivation.
Measured: Baseline and post-intervention, within 1 week after completion of the 10-week program
Change From Baseline in Academic Motivation Scale Score in High-School Students
Academic motivation in the high-school cohort was assessed using the 22-item Turkish Academic Motivation Scale. Items assess intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, and amotivation and are rated on a 7-point scale. Higher total scores indicate stronger academic motivation after appropriate reverse scoring.
Measured: Baseline and post-intervention, within 1 week after completion of the 10-week program
Change From Baseline in Perceived Stress Scale for Children Score
Perceived stress in the middle-school cohort was assessed using the 9-item Perceived Stress Scale for Children. Items are rated on a 4-point frequency scale. Total scores are calculated by summing item responses, with higher scores indicating greater perceived stress.
Measured: Baseline and post-intervention, within 1 week after completion of the 10-week program
Change From Baseline in Perceived Stress Scale
Perceived stress in the high-school cohort was assessed using the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10). Items are rated from 0 (Never) to 4 (Very often). Positively worded items are reverse scored before calculating the total score, with higher scores indicating greater perceived stress.
Measured: Baseline and post-intervention, within 1 week after completion of the 10-week program
Secondary outcomes (2)
Change From Baseline in Middle School Academic Achievement Test Score
Academic achievement in the middle-school cohort was assessed using the 75-item Middle School Academic Achievement Test (MS-AAT), covering Turkish language, social studies, mathematics, and science. Items are scored 1 for a correct response and 0 for an incorrect or omitted response, with higher total scores indicating greater academic achievement.
Measured: Baseline and post-intervention, within 1 week after completion of the 10-week program
Change From Baseline in High School Academic Achievement Test Score
Academic achievement in the high-school cohort was assessed using the 80-item High School Academic Achievement Test (HS-AAT), covering curriculum-based academic domains. Items are scored 1 for a correct response and 0 for an incorrect or omitted response, with higher total scores indicating greater academic achievement.
Measured: Baseline and post-intervention, within 1 week after completion of the 10-week program
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted24 Aug 2026
- Study start15 Dec 2025
- Primary completion27 Mar 2026
- Study completion27 Mar 2026
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Adolescent DevelopmentStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Model description
- Participants were enrolled in two developmentally distinct cohorts (middle school and high school) and randomized separately within each cohort in a 1:1 ratio to the WAY intervention or waitlist control. Both study arms were followed in parallel from baseline to post-intervention assessment.
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 120 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Melih Dikmen
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor-investigator, Melih Dikmen, Firat University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07780864
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- WAY-RCT-01
- Acronym
- WAY
- Status last verified
- Aug 2026
- First submitted
- 18 Aug 2026
- Last updated
- 25 Aug 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: De-identified individual participant data underlying the results reported in the publication will be shared together with the corresponding data dictionary and analytic code.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 25 Aug 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Digital Social and Emotional Learning Program for Adolescents: Effects on Social-Emotional Functioning and Academic Achievement
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07780864
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- WAY / WAY-RCT-01
- Conditions
- Adolescent Development
- Keywords
- Social and Emotional Learning, Adolescents, Self-Regulation, Emotional Intelligence, Academic Motivation, Perceived Stress, Academic Achievement, Digital Intervention
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 120 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Melih DikmenUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 15 Dec 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 27 Mar 2026 (actual)
- Study completion
- 27 Mar 2026 (actual)
- First posted
- 24 Aug 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This study evaluated the Who Are You (WAY) program, a 10-week online social and emotional learning program designed for adolescents. The program aims to help young people better understand and manage emotions, regulate their behavior, stay motivated in learning, cope with stress, and develop goal-directed skills.
A total of 120 adolescents took part in the study, including 60 middle-school students and 60 high-school students. Within each educational group, participants were randomly assigned either to the WAY program or to a waitlist group that continued with their usual education. The WAY program combined weekly one-to-one online sessions with structured independent learning activities.
Participants completed assessments before and after the 10-week period. The main outcomes were self-regulation, emotional intelligence, academic motivation, and perceived stress. Academic achievement was also assessed as a secondary educational outcome.
The study tested the hypothesis that adolescents assigned to the WAY program would show greater improvement in social-emotional functioning than adolescents assigned to the waitlist condition.
Detailed description
This was a two-arm, parallel-group, assessor-blinded, waitlist-controlled randomized trial conducted with two developmentally distinct educational cohorts in Türkiye. Middle-school and high-school participants were randomized separately within cohort in a 1:1 ratio to either the WAY intervention or a waitlist control condition.
WAY was a manualized, digitally supported social and emotional learning intervention delivered over 10 consecutive weeks. Each weekly module included an individual synchronous online session supplemented by structured asynchronous activities. The program addressed self-awareness, emotional understanding and regulation, academic motivation, goal setting, planning, self-monitoring, stress management, adaptive coping, empathy, communication, and maintenance of acquired skills.
Participants in the waitlist condition continued their usual education during the evaluation period and were offered access to the WAY program after completion of post-intervention assessments.
Baseline assessments were completed before randomization, and post-intervention assessments were administered within one week after completion of the intervention period. The four prespecified primary outcome domains were self-regulation, trait emotional intelligence, academic motivation, and perceived stress. Academic achievement was prespecified as a secondary educational outcome. Outcomes were evaluated separately within the middle-school and high-school cohorts.
The trial was completed before registration on ClinicalTrials.gov and is therefore being registered retrospectively.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
- Model description
- Participants were enrolled in two developmentally distinct cohorts (middle school and high school) and randomized separately within each cohort in a 1:1 ratio to the WAY intervention or waitlist control. Both study arms were followed in parallel from baseline to post-intervention assessment.
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| WAY Intervention | Experimental | Behavioral: Who Are You (WAY) Social and Emotional Learning ProgramParticipants assigned to this arm received the 10-week Who Are You (WAY) social and emotional learning program in addition to their usual education. The program included one individual synchronous online session per week, followed by structured asynchronous learning activities. Each weekly module comprised approximately 30 minutes of synchronous instruction and 15-20 minutes of asynchronous activities. |
| Waitlist Control | No intervention | –Participants assigned to this arm continued their usual school education and did not receive WAY sessions, facilitator contact, or intervention materials during the 10-week evaluation period. They were offered access to the WAY program after completion of the post-intervention assessment. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 10 to 18 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult
Key inclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Enrollment in Grades 5-12.
- Sufficient proficiency in Turkish to understand the program content and complete the study measures.
- Reliable internet access and access to an appropriate digital device for participation in the online program.
- Ability to engage with the program and complete the study measures independently, with reasonable support where required.
- Written informed consent from a parent or legal guardian and written assent from the adolescent.
Key exclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Concurrent participation in another structured social and emotional learning program.
- A cognitive, sensory, linguistic, or functional difficulty that prevented meaningful participation or independent completion of the study measures despite reasonable accommodations.
- An acute psychological crisis or serious risk requiring immediate professional assessment or clinical support.
- Failure to complete the baseline assessment or withdrawal before randomization.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Who Are You (WAY) Social and Emotional Learning ProgramWAY is a manualized, digitally supported social and emotional learning program designed for adolescents. It was delivered individually over 10 consecutive weeks. Each weekly module combined a synchronous online session with structured asynchronous activities. The program addressed self-awareness, emotional understanding and regulation, academic motivation, goal setting, planning, self-monitoring, stress management, adaptive coping, empathy, communication, collaborative problem solving, and maintenance of acquired skills. Sessions used guided discussion, reflective questioning, experiential activities, structured exercises, individualized reflection, and goal setting. | Behavioural | WAY Intervention |
Primary outcome
Change From Baseline in Perceived Self-Regulation Scale Score
Time frame: Baseline and post-intervention, within 1 week after completion of the 10-week program
Self-regulation in the middle-school cohort was assessed using the 16-item Perceived Self-Regulation Scale. Items are rated on a 5-point Likert-type scale. Total scores are calculated by summing item responses, with higher scores indicating greater perceived self-regulatory capacity.
Change From Baseline in Self-Regulation Scale for Adolescents Score
Time frame: Baseline and post-intervention, within 1 week after completion of the 10-week program
Self-regulation in the high-school cohort was assessed using the 11-item Self-Regulation Scale for Adolescents. The scale assesses goal setting, planning, monitoring, emotional awareness, and behavioral control using a 5-point response format. Higher total scores indicate greater self-regulatory competence.
Change From Baseline in Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire-Adolescent Short Form Score
Time frame: Baseline and post-intervention, within 1 week after completion of the 10-week program
Trait emotional intelligence was assessed in both cohorts using the 15-item Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire-Adolescent Short Form (TEIQue-ASF). Items are rated on a 7-point scale. Negatively worded items are reverse scored, and higher total scores indicate greater perceived emotional competence.
Change From Baseline in Academic Motivation Scale Score in Middle-School Studen
Time frame: Baseline and post-intervention, within 1 week after completion of the 10-week program
Academic motivation in the middle-school cohort was assessed using the 28-item Turkish adaptation of the Academic Motivation Scale. Items are rated on a 7-point scale. Total scores are calculated after appropriate reverse scoring, with higher scores indicating stronger academic motivation.
Change From Baseline in Academic Motivation Scale Score in High-School Students
Time frame: Baseline and post-intervention, within 1 week after completion of the 10-week program
Academic motivation in the high-school cohort was assessed using the 22-item Turkish Academic Motivation Scale. Items assess intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, and amotivation and are rated on a 7-point scale. Higher total scores indicate stronger academic motivation after appropriate reverse scoring.
Change From Baseline in Perceived Stress Scale for Children Score
Time frame: Baseline and post-intervention, within 1 week after completion of the 10-week program
Perceived stress in the middle-school cohort was assessed using the 9-item Perceived Stress Scale for Children. Items are rated on a 4-point frequency scale. Total scores are calculated by summing item responses, with higher scores indicating greater perceived stress.
Change From Baseline in Perceived Stress Scale
Time frame: Baseline and post-intervention, within 1 week after completion of the 10-week program
Perceived stress in the high-school cohort was assessed using the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10). Items are rated from 0 (Never) to 4 (Very often). Positively worded items are reverse scored before calculating the total score, with higher scores indicating greater perceived stress.
2 secondary outcomes
Change From Baseline in Middle School Academic Achievement Test Score
Time frame: Baseline and post-intervention, within 1 week after completion of the 10-week program
Change From Baseline in High School Academic Achievement Test Score
Time frame: Baseline and post-intervention, within 1 week after completion of the 10-week program
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 25 Aug 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. De-identified individual participant data underlying the results reported in the publication will be shared together with the corresponding data dictionary and analytic code.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Who Are You (WAY) Social and Emotional Learning Program in people with Adolescent Development, run by Melih Dikmen at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 5 inclusion and 4 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 25 Aug 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye). Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Change From Baseline in Perceived Self-Regulation Scale Score (time frame: Baseline and post-intervention, within 1 week after completion of the 10-week program). The study lists 7 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 25 Aug 2026; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 6 Nov 2026.